Burnt Emotions
by the artist with no name
Summary: I revised this a bit, so you might find the characters acting a bit more as they should be. Read and Review
1. Default Chapter

Tenchi and crew don't belong to me

Burnt Emotions 

Ryoko stared up through the trees, wondering about her relationships with the others in the house. Sasami was like her best friend.  No...she was her best friend. She was always cheery and happy, lifting Ryoko's spirits. Tenchi...well, she loved Tenchi with all her heart but he seemed to be having trouble with his feelings. She knew deep down inside that he loved her, but he was afraid of something. Ayeka. She didn't hate the princess entirely. She just didn't like how she was so stuck up sometimes. She really wasn't that bad of a person though. She actually kind of enjoyed her company when they weren't fighting. Mihoshi she didn't really know because she couldn't hold any form of conversation with the blonde what so ever. Washu...well...

I don't know where to begin with that one Ryoko thought. Washu had insisted that she was her mother but that was just too hard for Ryoko to accept. She stayed in the body of a twelve-year-old and conducted experiments on her. She hasn't for a while though. She has been pretty quiet lately, or atleast around Ryoko. She wouldn't call Washu a friend. More like an acquaintance. She really didn't have any feelings for Washu. Then again, she did feel a strong sense of attachment deep inside where it was hard for Ryoko to venture. She wanted to find out where this feeling was coming from but that was where Kagato was and it scared her to go there for fear that his control would regain its power with the memories. She needed to talk to someone about this but there was no one who would really listen and give her good advice. No one understood her pain and torture except...Washu.

What the hell. Why not? Ryoko thought to herself as she floated back to the house.

*** 

Ryoko slowly walked into the lab and looked around. It was dark and the small scientist was nowhere to be seen.

"Washu?" Ryoko called, hearing a shout from her right. She looked over and saw nothing but then again, the shout seemed pretty far away. She flew in that direction and found Washu at a fairly large machine that she was leaning into. She saw Washu's waist and legs and that was it. The rest was submerged in the workings of the mechanism before her.

"Washu?" Ryoko asked, curious as to what she was doing. Washu pulled herself out of the machine and looked up at Ryoko with a spot of dirt on her left cheek.

"What is it, Ryoko?" Washu said as she dove back into the machine, head first. Ryoko raised an eyebrow and settled her feet on the ground. 

"Can we talk?" Ryoko asked. Washu just continued to work, mumbling something to herself.

"What is it, Ryoko?" she asked again. Ryoko made a sour face at her so-called-mother. 

"Washu, I actually want to talk to you and you don't pay any attention to me!" Ryoko shouted, causing Washu to stop her work and pull herself out again. She looked at Ryoko with a serious face.

"Ryoko, that doesn't mean I'm not listening. I just really need to get this done," Washu said as she started her work once more. 

"Somehow I feel I'm getting the shitty end of this deal," Ryoko said dryly. 

"Watch your mouth, Ryoko," Washu scolded.

"Why should I?  Will it make you listen to me?" Ryoko asked.  Washu pulled out again and looked over at her with a straight look.

"Ryoko, what is it?  I told you, I'm really busy," Washu said.

"Too busy for your own daughter?" Ryoko asked, spitting out the word daughter as though it were the plague.  

"Don't think like that, Ryoko.  It's just that this is important and I hate to say it, but hearing about Tenchi isn't my first priority," Washu said as she resumed her work.  Ryoko gaped at her before she growled and flew back into the air.  True, she did ask Washu a lot if there was anyway she could help her get Tenchi, but she was just jumping to conclusions.  She didn't even let Ryoko tell her why she was here.

"So that's what you think this is about?" Ryoko sneered as she glared at the redhead.  

"What else would it be about?" Washu asked nonchalantly.  Ryoko growled and clamped her fists together and shook her head.

"You ever think that my mind isn't always on Tenchi?  Humph.  And you expect me to call you mother? Well fuck that, Washu. You're not any mother to me. You never were and never will be!" she said as she flew off and left the lab. Washu had stopped her work while still in the machine and thought of what Ryoko had said. The words had hit her hard.  Sure, Ryoko would say that she wasn't her daughter and all that, but the tone she had used as well as the order of words had hit Washu with a deeper meaning.

Maybe she's right, though she thought to herself. She had stopped the experiments and teasing for a long time and wanted Ryoko to be more open but now she just blew that. Ryoko had wanted to talk to her but this machine had sidetracked her. Washu crawled out from the insides of the machine and sat up, looking at her hands. They were small but had achieved so much and they were covered with dirt and oil from the contraption she was working on but that's not the kind of soil she saw on them. She saw the dirt that stained her hands has as a result of her own actions. They had achieved so much, but had pushed the one thing most important to her away. Her daughter. She stood up and a sink with soap appeared in front of her. She scrubbed at her hands and continued to scrub even after they were clean.  She was staring at her hands, but she didn't see them.  Her thoughts were long gone and the tingling in her fingers wasn't registering at the moment.  She was hoping that if she scrubbed hard enough, every pain and every hurt word she had ever said and done to Ryoko would be washed away with the dirt and oil.

*** 

"Hi, Ryoko!" Sasami chirped as she skipped into the living room where Ryoko sat. Ryoko had a bitter look on her face and continued to stare out the window. Sasami sat next to her and gave her a worried look.

"Ryoko, what's wrong?" she asked, placing a hand on Ryoko's shoulder. Ryoko turned her head and looked at the little girl with a slightly better look.

"Nothing, Sasami. I just have a lot on my mind," she said, turning away once more. Sasami tilted her head to see Ryoko's face.

"Are you sure, Ryoko? I can make you something special for dinner if it would make you feel better," Sasami said with a smile. Ryoko couldn't help but smile at the little girl's offer. She looked at Sasami with a wide smile on her face as she let out a chuckle.

"That would be nice, Sasami. Thank you," Ryoko said, unable to stay in a bitter mood because of the little girl. 

"Of course, Ryoko! Anything for a friend," Sasami cheered as she skipped off to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Ryoko let her words echo through her head, letting her ugly mood fade into the depths of her mind. 

***

Everyone sat at the dinner table and filled their plates with food, especially Ryoko who was glad that this was her favorite meal. It really had lifted her spirits. 

"This looks great, Sasami!" Ryoko said as she looked at the food on her plate.

"Thank you Ryoko!" Sasami said as she looked at her own pile of food. Everyone agreed and started eating, talking about the days events. Washu sat at the end of the table, staring into her plate, pushing it around with her chopsticks. Sasami looked over and saw how Washu was acting and became worried.  

"Is something wrong, Washu?" she asked, hoping it had nothing to do with the cooking. Washu looked up at her and smiled.

"No, Sasami. The food looks absolutely wonderful. I'm just not very hungry, that's all," she reassured, causing the little girl to smile slightly. Still, she knew something was wrong but wasn't one to push matters that really didn't look like they should be talked about. 

Ryoko, can we talk after dinner? Washu asked through the link in soft, fragile thoughts. Ryoko didn't answer her. Washu looked up at her and saw that Ryoko was talking to Sasami. She was ignoring her completely. That hurt seeing how Washu was intending to apologize to her daughter for her actions.

Ryoko, I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions and I want to listen to what you have to say Washu tried again. This time Ryoko was talking to Tenchi, ignoring her further. Washu watched for a minute before feeling seriously hurt by her daughter's failure to acknowledge her. She stood up but no one seemed to pay any attention to her as she walked out of the room. 

***

"Hey! Where'd Washu go?" Sasami asked as she noticed Washu's absence. Ryoko looked up without a care in her eye and returned to her meal.

"She probably left to go finish her experiments," she mumbled angrily as she finished her meal. Sasami looked at Ryoko, know understanding why Washu was so upset. Still, she decided to leave the matter alone. This had nothing to do with her and all she could do to help was try and lift their spirits. Unfortunately, others felt it was their business.

"Ryoko, are you two fighting again?" Tenchi asked, a little upset about the situation.

"Well, I went to go talk to her, thinking about working on our relationship but she was too 'busy' I guess," Ryoko explained. Tenchi frowned and thought about this, as did the others. Sasami just shook her head as finished her meal.

"That was pretty rude, if you ask me," Ayeka said, finishing her meal as well. Everyone nodded their heads, except Sasami, and placed their plates in the sink. Sasami sighed and decided to go see Washu after the dishes were done.

***

Sasami walked into the lab and looked around before fully entering and closing the door. She thought she heard the sound of running water coming from the right of her. She walked towards the sound and found Washu at a sink, furiously scrubbing her hands again.  From the look of her appearance, she had been working on the machine that was gutted to the right of her.  Her face had a twisted look of angered thought and smears of oil stained her face. 

"Washu, what are you doing?" Sasami asked as she walked over to the small scientist, taking advantage of her size for once and looking over her shoulder. 

"Washu! Stop! You're going to hurt yourself!" Sasami said, grabbing Washu's hands and pulling them out from under the scolding hot water. Washu's face was still twisted in thought as she struggled to pull away from the small princess, but Sasami was reluctant to release her. 

"LET GO!" she screamed, pushing the small girl to the floor, sticking her hands under the water once again. She whined as she scrubbed the skin raw, firmly stuck in her own world.

"Washu, stop!" Sasami screamed before running out of the lab. She bumped into Ryoko in the living room and looked at her with worry and fear on her face.

"What is it, Sasami? What's wrong?" Ryoko asked, kneeling down and holding the girl's shoulders. 

"Come, quick! You need to help Washu!" she said before running of to the lab. She ran to Washu who was idly crying as she continued to scrub her hands. Ryoko flew in behind Sasami and landed behind Washu, pulling her hands out from under the water. Washu pulled and struggled to get away but Ryoko held her fast.

"Washu, STOP!" Ryoko yelled, snapping Washu out of her trance as she shook her hard. Her hands were bright red and bleeding in some spots on the backs of her hands and around her knuckles and palms. Ryoko dropped Washu's hands and walked over to Sasami, kneeling down in front of her again, smiling at her.

"Don't worry. She's was just being the crazy scientist that she is," Ryoko said before standing up and looking over at Washu with a blank look.

"Ryoko..." Washu said as she cradled the wrist of her right hand, feeling stupid for what she had just done. 

"Sasami, can you leave us for a moment?" Ryoko asked as she looked down at the princess.  Sasami hesitated for a moment before slowly leaving the lab.  Ryoko let out a sigh and stood in front of Washu who still had her head down.  

"Washu, why did you do that?" Ryoko asked.  She couldn't help but feel curious as to why Washu was acting like this and felt that her words had had quite an impact on the small scientist.  Washu opened her mouth to speak but for once in her life, she had nothing to say.  Ryoko hunkered down to meet Washu at eye level, yet the scientist didn't make eye contact.  

"I have to say, that was pretty stupid.  Washing your hands raw isn't going to take back what I said.  I wanted to come and talk to you about my past and try and right things, but you were too busy.  You're always too busy, so why fight a battle I'm ultimately going to loose?" Ryoko said before standing up and leaving the lab.  Washu let out a weak sigh and hung her head before realizing the burning in her hands and the sting in her knuckles and palms.  Ryoko left the lab and Sasami poked her head in as the pirate brushed past her.  She looked at Washu and saw her struggling with the handle of a door that had appeared.  Her hands were almost as red as her hair and she stomped her foot in aggravation before Ryoko placed a hand on Sasami's shoulder, escorting her out of the lab.

***

"Ryoko, why didn't you help Washu with the door? She was hurt and couldn't open it," Sasami said as they entered the hallway to the house. Ryoko just looked ahead of her and then turned to the girl with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Sasami, she has plenty of equipment and inventions she can use to heal herself.  She doesn't need our help," Ryoko explained, but her voice wasn't totally uncaring.  She did feel bad, but if she went to Washu's aid, she felt the scientist would see this as a weakness and use it to her advantage. 

What am I thinking? Ryoko scolded herself as the thoughts filled her head. Sasami put her hands on her hips and cocked her head.

"Than why did you snap her out of her trance?" she asked accusingly, thinking she had pinned Ryoko.

"Because you asked me to," Ryoko said as she walked away. Sasami felt defeat wash over her as she walked into the living room to join the others at the TV. 

***

Washu sat in the very back of her lab, babying her hands and watched as the blood trickled down her wrists. She had the resources to fix her hands, but they weren't in the room and even if they were, she wouldn't be able to use them.  Her fingers were stiff and felt as though her joints had been filled in with superglue.  Ryoko had pulled her hands out from under the hot water but that's all. She didn't help her with anything else and on top of that, she still ignored her. Washu didn't know what she was thinking at the time, and now regretted the sink scene. That wasn't going to bring Ryoko closer to her, but she still did it. Washu sighed and closed her eyes as she thought about how Ryoko treated her. It was one thing to not accept her as a mother, but to ignore her completely? It was too much all at once. What had Washu done to deserve treatment this bad? She had tried to apologize to Ryoko but she ignored her. It was just a small misunderstanding.  Her hands were starting to swell painfully from the burns and the infection that had found it's way to the bleeding sores was just as painful. She couldn't open any door or get a good enough grip on anything to care for them. She couldn't just go out into the living room with hands like this or Ryoko would laugh at her seeing that she couldn't do it on her own. They probably wouldn't have acknowledged her anyway.

Why? Washu asked herself as tears streamed down her face. She wanted so much to be loved as a mother by Ryoko but she was now reduced to just being someone else in this universe that Ryoko hated, even more than before.

***

Sasami walked into the lab with a medical kit and looked around, wondering where Washu had gone. She closed the door and continued to look around but saw no sign of Washu. It relieved her a little to hear no running water either. 

"Washu?" she called loudly. She became worried when there was no response but snapped her eyes open as Tsunami's voice popped into her head. 

Head to the back of the lab she whispered. Sasami smiled and nodded before making a beeline for the rear of the lab.

******************** 

"Ryoko!" Washu shouted as she ran to the crying little girl's side. She had been running through the lab and slipped, sliding headfirst into one of the larger machines. She had split her head open and now there was a thin trail of blood slowly trickling down her forehead, staining her cyan hair. Washu picked her up and took her into a room with a bed and medical supplies and sat her down on the edge of the surprisingly soft bed. She immediately cleaned away the blood, causing Ryoko to scream in pain every time she touched the wound. 

"It hurts, mommy! Make the pain go away!" Ryoko sobbed as Washu dabbed the cut with something to numb the skin. After a few seconds, Ryoko stopped crying and was just sniffling from the after effects, tears still running down her face.  She still had yet to hone her healing abilities, so this would have to do for now.

"Stay still, precious," Washu cooed as she gently stitched the wound up with cyan colored thread so they wouldn't show up and she was skilled enough to do it without having to cut the hair on her daughter's head. It was also very close to the hairline, so that made it a little easier. 

"Am I going to die?" Ryoko sniffled. Washu stopped and looked at her with a chuckle.

"No, you're not going to die, Ryoko," she said with a smile. She sewed up the last stitch and put everything away. Ryoko was sitting there with tear streaks on her cheeks and a small shock of pale red from where the blood had traveled in her cyan hair. 

"Your hair looks like the pink and blue cotton candy mixed together," Washu teased as she smiled at her daughter's face, trying to cheer her up. Ryoko smiled and wiped the few tears that still fell. Washu put some cyan tinted ooze on the red spot and brushed in out gently, careful not to hit the tender spot she stitched, making the hair soft and cyan once again. She then picked Ryoko up and hugged her as Ryoko lazily wrapped her arms around Washu's neck, resting her throbbing head. 

"How about we go get some ice cream and play in the park?" Washu asked into her daughter's ear. Ryoko merely nodded her head as it rested on her mother's shoulder. 

"Mommy?" Ryoko said as Washu carried her out of the lab. 

"Hmm," Washu cooed again with a small smile on her face.

"Thank you," she said in a small voice. 

"For what?" Washu asked with a smile, wondering what she could be possibly thanking her for. Washu wasn't just going to let something like that happen without tending to it. 

"For loving me," Ryoko mumbled as she played with a strand of Washu's fire red hair, still resting her head. Washu stopped and looked at Ryoko as best as she could with a surprised look on her face.

"Oh Ryoko. You don't have to thank me. You're my daughter and I will love you whether you want me to or not," Washu said. Ryoko hugged her tightly and Washu returned that hug with all the love she held for her precious daughter.

***********************

Washu snapped awake as Sasami sat in front of her, opening a med kit. She gently took one of Washu's hands and placed it on a towel that she had spread over her knee. Carefully, she dabbed the open sores with a cotton ball, soaking up the still free flowing blood. Washu winced but didn't stop the princess. She was still thinking about the dream she just had. It was more than that, though. It was a memory.

"You know, Washu, You could have-"

"Stop talking and just work, seeing that's what you came for. I don't need to hear the lectures," Washu said bitterly, the dream fading, being replaced with pain. Sasami looked at Washu with hurt at her words. She had come here to help her and she yells at her. Tears started to fall from Washu's eyes as she looked to her side, away from Sasami. 

"I'm sorry, Sasami. I just...I just don't understand," she said, choking back the tears. Sasami still felt hurt but understood that Washu was upset. She cleaned out the wounds as Washu cringed in her seat. After they were cleaned out, Sasami wrapped thin layers of gauze and then in ace bandages to keep her fingers together so as not to reopen the cuts.

"Now, don't do any work until they're completely healed," Sasami ordered, waiting for a very loud protest that there was too much to get done for Washu to take a break. She was a little surprised when no complaint came. Washu just sat there with her bandaged hands in her lap, staring at the floor. Sasami hesitated about leaving her but reluctantly left the room.

*** 

"Hey, Sasami. What's the med kit for?" Ryoko asked as the small princess tried to sneak back into the bathroom to put the supplies away. She froze and slowly turned and smiled sheepishly at Ryoko.

"I, uh, cut myself while cutting some vegetables for tomorrow's dinner," Sasami lied, hoping Ryoko wouldn't find out.  She didn't know why, but she didn't really want to tell Ryoko that she had been helping Washu.  

"Is that right? Then why don't' you have any bandages on your hands? Come on. Tell me the truth," Ryoko said with her hands on her hips in a comical gesture. Sasami lowered her head and let out a sigh.

"I helped Washu bandage her hands. They were really bad, Ryoko. They were bleeding and were becoming infected," Sasami said in a pleading voice. Ryoko smiled at her and knelt down in front of her, looking her straight in the eyes.

"And you think that upsets me, don't you?" Ryoko asked.  Sasami merely nodded her head.

"I thought you were mad at Washu," she said softly.

"I am, but I'm not cruel, Sasami.  I just figured she'd have the resources to do it herself, that's all," Ryoko explained in an understanding voice.  She then moved her eyes away in thought, remembering how she had struggled with the door.  Her hands were pretty bad and it was her own stupidity, but in all her years of being a scientist and working on experiments that would blow up in her face and potentially kill her, this didn't seem like a big thing for her.  Ryoko then wrinkled her brow as she thought of why Washu would let Sasami care for her.  She never let anyone worry about her in the past, so why now?  Did she realize that Ryoko was lost to her and wanted sympathy?  Was she going this for the attention?

"Oh," Sasami said, not looking at Ryoko. Ryoko hugged her and told her to put the med kit away and play a game with her. Sasami nodded and they decided on a game of chess.

*** 

Tenchi walked into the kitchen at three in the morning with the worst craving for some leftovers but stopped when he saw Washu at the counter, trying to open a jar of pickles, but failing. He walked over and stood next to her, a little surprised that she ignored him. He remembered what Ryoko had told everyone at lunch about thinking she was acting like this for attention, but she really seemed to be struggling.   

"Let me help," he said, giving in and reaching for the jar, not seeing her bandaged hands. Washu sighed in frustration and dropped her hands, letting Tenchi help her with the tightly screwed on lid. Tenchi twisted it and placed the open jar back on the counter. 

"Thank you," she said quietly. Tenchi smiled, knowing she wouldn't see it but continued getting his snack anyway.  He opened the fridge and retrieved the food and closed it with his foot. He heard Washu struggling again as she tried to retrieve a pickle but failing at that as well because of her fingers on both hands being bandaged together. 

"Dammit!" she whispered to herself as she let out a whimper, stomping her foot angrily on the floor. Tenchi went to the paper towels and grabbed a couple and placed them on the counter for Washu. He reached in the jar and looked over at her before picking out the pickles.

"How many do you want, little Washu?" he asked quietly, confused at why she couldn't do it herself. Maybe she was acting and this slightly angered Tenchi, but he helped nonetheless. 

"Two," she mumbled with her head hung. Tenchi retrieved the pickles from the jar and wrapped them in the paper towels, soaking up the excess juice. He wrapped the dry pickles in another paper towel and handed them to Washu.

"Here you go," he said. He was curious as to why she hesitated in taking them from him. She held her hands behind her back and looked up at him. It was too dark to see his face and she looked at the white paper towels that defied the darkness like a candle. She gently put a hand on the top and bottom, grabbing the pickles from Tenchi before walking out of the kitchen without another word. Tenchi scratched his head and thought that he had seen something on Washu's hands as she grabbed the pickles. 

"Hmmm. I wonder what it was," he asked himself as he sat down and ate his snack in the dark. 

*** 

If Washu thought retrieving the pickles was hard, eating them was a completely different story. She unwrapped them as her mouth watered at the thought of the tangy juice and tried to pick up the first one but couldn't bend her fingers far enough to grab hold of the round pickle. She grunted and tried again but dropped the pickle on the floor. She let out a sigh, seeing she had anticipated this, and tried for the other one but took it a little slower this time. She got the best grip on it that she could and took a big bit out of it, dropping the rest on the floor. 

"What the hell!" she yelled, angered at her inability to perform the simplest task of eating a pickle. She stood up and went to make fists and let out a small shout of surprised pain as the scabs on her hands ripped open as she bent her fingers despite the bandages. Washu took a deep breath and counted back from ten out loud and tried to calm herself but found it harder than she had thought.  She felt so utterly retarded and useless with her hands like this and sat on her floating cushion before letting out all the emotions she felt through her tears.

*** 

"Tenchi! Breakfast is ready!" Sasami called through his door.

"I'll be down in a minute," he called back as she skipped down the stairs. She had already woken up everyone except Washu. She found the small scientsis sitting in front of her computer, staring at the blank screen in thought. 

"Washu, breakfast is ready," she said. The redhead turned and nodded at Sasami but didn't get up. Sasami was going to ask her what was wrong but thought she had an idea as to why she didn't move so she closed the door and went to the kitchen where everyone was gathering, drawn by the wonderful smells.

***

Everyone sat down at the table and made their plates as Washu walked in and sat down. 

How am I going to eat breakfast with chopsticks if I can't even hold a pickle? Washu thought sarcastically. She looked at her plate and then at everyone else at the table with pleading eyes. She considered asking someone to give her a hand but could felt he all too familiar feeling of pride wash through her.  Didn't really matter seeing no one would even realize that her hands were bandaged. She was going to be hungry for a long time seeing that she couldn't do anything with her hands. Tenchi looked over at Washu and noticed her not eating again, but thought nothing of it seeing she ate those pickles last night. He shrugged slightly and continued with his meal. Everyone talked about what their plans were for the day and laughed at the jokes made while Washu sat there, looking at the food on the table while her stomach growled quietly, unable to eat it. 

Ryoko, why are you ignoring me? she asked through the link, not expecting an answer. 

You should know why, Washu she said, startling Washu a bit with her response.  

Ryoko, I'm sorry.  How many times do I have to tell you? Washu asked, getting mad at the fact that her mistake had been realized.  Ryoko was giggling over something that Sasami had said to her and ignored her for the moment. 

Ryoko, please answer me Washu pleaded.  Still no answer. What was her problem? Why was she doing this? Washu then got angry at her silence and made a bitter face at her empty plate. She looked around and saw the whole table now laughing at Sasami's joke. 

"Um...Can I...get some help?" Washu asked slowly, no one answering or even looking at her. She felt like an outsider. No one seemed to care. They figured that Washu never needed help from anyone but that wasn't entirely true. It is true that she gave up her powers and she had been reverted to living like a human with a few powers and a VERY long life span, but she was, after all, only human. Besides, who had she given those powers to? Ryoko. Who had she made that sacrifice for? Ryoko. Now, Ryoko was ignoring her along with the rest of the family. A tear rolled down Washu's face as she got up from the table and walked slowly to her lab with a very empty stomach. 

*** 

"Not again," Sasami said as she saw that Washu had left again. She had watched her leave but thought against stopping her. 

"What is it Sasami?" Tenchi asked, not understanding what the little princess was talking about. She shot him a quick, angry glance before looking at Washu's seat again. The others looked over and saw that she was gone. 

"Maybe she finished earlier than us," Ayeka said, smiling at her sister. Sasami rolled her eyes and picked Washu's spotless plate up and showed the others. 

"She's been acting weird lately," Sasami said, putting the plate on the counter next to the sink.

"She always acts weird, Sasami," Ayeka said before finishing breakfast. Sasami looked pleadingly at Ryoko but Ryoko only shrugged her shoulders before Sasami let out a sigh and cleaned the dishes off the table.

***

Sasami walked to the lab after making sure Ryoko was asleep on the roof and slowly opened the door. She really didn't want to talk to the pirate for the first time since they became as close of friends as they were.  She quickly stepped inside while closing the door behind her and turned to see an empty room scratch the machinery. 

"Washu?" she called, looking around for the deeply depressed scientist.

"What is it, Sasami?" Washu asked as she appeared on a floating cushion from behind one of the large machines, scaring the daylights out of Sasami.

"Washu! You scared me!" Washu smiled weakly at her and floated on her chair over to her computer.

"Now remember what I told you, Washu. Let me see your hands," Sasami said as she walked over to the small scientist. She stopped and let out a shout of surprise as Ryoko appeared between them. 

"Sasami," Ryoko said slowly with her hands on her hips. Sasami swallowed hard and looked off to the side of her.

"I wanted to check on Washu," she said in a small voice. Ryoko shook her head and pointed to the door. Sasami went to protest but soon went to the door after receiving a harsh glare from Ryoko. 

"Can you blame her?" Washu said quietly. Ryoko turned and snorted at Washu.

"Blame her for what? Trying to help someone who can heal themselves on their own?" Ryoko snapped. Washu looked at her over her shoulder with a blank look.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, seeing that Ryoko couldn't put two and two together with the healing thing. Ryoko turned and looked at her with her hands on her hips, much like she did with Sasami.

"Because, Washu. You've belittled me, teased me, made me feel like dirt, and when I finally suck it up and come to talk to you about it, you told me you were to busy. A mother is never too busy for her daughter so I think of you as someone who lives here, just like everyone else and that's how it's going to stay," Ryoko said.  Washu snorted in spite of herself and lowered her head, not wanting to argue with a pigheaded space pirate. 

"Oh, and you can stop this little sympathy act now, Washu. Just heal yourself and get on with you experiments that mean SO much to you," Ryoko said sarcastically before phasing out of the room. Washu looked at the spot she was a few seconds ago and let out a sigh. 

"But I gave that power to you," Washu whispered to herself. 

***

Sasami sat on the couch with sadness and anger filling her head. Ryoko was being so mean to Washu when she needed someone to help her. She couldn't eat with her hands like that and Sasami could see that the bandages desperately needed to be changed. She lifted her head as Ryoko fazed into the room.

"Hey, Sasami. Want to play a game of chess?" she asked as a chessboard and pieces appeared on the table. Sasami only shook her head. 

"Why not? I'll let you be the black pieces if you want," Ryoko said. It was like nothing had happened in the lab. Sasami jumped up and flipped the board over in fury. Ryoko jumped back and stared at the girl with wide eyes. She had never seen her so violent.

"Ryoko, why?" she yelled.

"Why what?" she asked, not liking the princess so upset.

"You know what I'm talking about, Ryoko! Why treat Washu with so much disrespect? She's trying to be a mother!" Sasami screamed as tears ran down her face. Ryoko scowled at her and slowly made her way over before kneeling in front of the fuming princess.

"I'm sorry, Sasami, but you don't understand. Now she knows how I felt for so many years and I want her to get a good idea on how it feels to be shut out," Ryoko said before fazing out of the living room. Sasami sat down and started to pick the pieces of the chess game up off the floor and set them up, playing against herself.

***

A couple hours later, Sasami walked through the lab door with a med kit and sat down in front of Washu who looked over at her. Her bandaged hands now had large, fresh bloodstains where her hands had started bleeding again. Without a word, Sasami unwrapped them and carefully pealed the gauze off as Washu bit her lower lip. 

"I told you not to do anything with them until they've healed, Washu," Sasami said in a flat tone. 

"I know. I was bored though, so I decided to watch a movie," Washu said in an equally flat voice. She couldn't even watch a movie without reopening the sores. You never realize how painful hand injuries can be until you've actually obtained one.  Sasami looked at her with raised eyebrows and continued working.

"You know you're just making them worse," Sasami said. Washu looked back up at the screen and cursed herself for not being able to turn the movie on again. 

"Who else is going to do it for me, Sasami?" Washu asked in her depressed voice. Sasami looked at her and smacked her arm.

"I will, silly!" she said with a small smile. Washu didn't smile as she shook her head.

"No, you won't," she said in a soft voice. Sasami was about to ask why when Ryoko showed up.

"Sasami, do I need to tell you again?" she said as she stood behind Washu's chair. Sasami ignored her and continued working on Washu's hands. It was almost like Ryoko was spying on her. Ryoko looked down and cringed at the still swollen, still red, and still bleeding hands of the little scientist. She could feel the hurt of her actions but refused to let them show on her face. Maybe she did go a little overboard and started to feel guilty about it.

"Alright," Ryoko said before fazing out. Washu looked at the floor with a distant look on her face. She still couldn't understand her daughter's reaction to her and desperately wanted to fix it but Ryoko wouldn't listen to her. 

"She's really starting to upset me," Sasami mumbled as she cleaned the dried blood off Washu's hands. 

"Why?" Washu asked, knowing that they were best friends. 

"She's so mean to you. You need help and she doesn't think I should help you. You can't even eat with these bandages on. I know because I saw your empty plate and heard you ask for help. I wish I wasn't a princess so I wouldn't have learned about manners. It would've been rude to just get up in the middle of a conversation," Sasami said apologetically. Washu sighed and looked away. Sasami looked up at her for a moment before smearing the ointment on the still open sores. 

"Washu, I don't understand why you don't just heal yourself," Sasami said, not looking up from her work. Washu just shook her head.

"I can't. I gave all my goddess powers to Ryoko in the form of the gems. That's why she can heal herself and all that jazz," Washu explained. Sasami stood up and stood next to Washu, leaning on her chair. Ryoko had told her and everyone else that she could heal herself when she really couldn't because she had sacrificed that ability for...Ryoko. 

"You should let them air out a bit before wrapping them up again. The air will help," Sasami said, looking at Washu's battered hands, ignoring the thoughts in her head.

"Why did you do this to yourself, anyway?" Sasami asked, not understanding Washu's actions.

"I just wasn't thinking straight. My mind was a million miles away. That's all," she said softly. Sasami looked at Washu and frowned. Ryoko had really hurt her and so has everyone else. Sasami also knew that she couldn't just talk to everyone about it because she was just a child who 'didn't understand'.

"I will help you, Washu. I don't care what Ryoko says," Sasami said as she continued to bandage Washu hands.

***

At dinner, everyone waited patiently as Sasami set the food on the table. To everyone's surprise, she sat next to where Washu usually sits, who still wasn't here yet. Ayeka looked at her with an angered look.

"Sasami, your seat is over here," Ayeka said, patting the cushion next to her. Sasami shook her head and stayed where she was, filing her plate. 

"Sasami, I don't want you sitting next to that woman! I must say Ryoko isn't my choice of a friend," Ayeka said as Ryoko grumbled at her, "but Washu ignored her when she asked for help. Parents don't do that to their children," Ayeka said. Sasami looked at her furiously but knew it wouldn't help to yell at her. There were five against one. Sasami sighed and hung her head as she got up and sat next to her sister. She was actually a little relieved seeing Washu hadn't showed up.

***

Everyone had gone to bed, even Ryoko but Sasami had stayed awake. She slowly walked down the stairs, careful not to wake the slumbering pirate and tiptoed into the kitchen. No one had noticed that she had made a plate for Washu and stuck it in the oven on a very low setting to keep it warm. She quietly turned the oven off and took the food out, heading for Washu's lab with food and chopsticks in hand. She could hear Ryoko quietly snoring on the rafters and could faintly see the outline of her hand hanging over the edge. She smiled and carefully opened the lab door. Washu was lying on a bed that had been formed from one of her cushions but was only dozing.

"Mmmm...what's that smell?" she said groggily. She sat up to see Sasami walking over to her with a plate of food and some chopsticks. Washu groaned as she realized that she couldn't eat it with her hands bandaged.

"Sasami, you told me yourself that-"

"Don't worry, Washu. I've got it covered," Sasami chirped as she sat Indian style on the bed on front of Washu who was sitting similar to her. Washu watched as Sasami held the chopsticks in her hand. She scooped up a small amount of food and held it up to Washu. Washu looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You're going to hand feed me?" she asked with a hint of pride in her voice. Sasami giggled at her, causing Washu to smile. Washu hasn't smiled a genuine smile in days and it made Sasami feel like she was a true friend. 

"Yup, now open wide," Sasami said as she moved the food closer. Washu's stomach growled loudly and her mouth watered. She was way too hungry to protest at this point and leaned forward, quickly taking the food offered to her. Sasami giggled again as she scooped up a slightly bigger bit, waiting for Washu to swallow.

"Shut up, Sasami. This isn't funny. The greatest scientific genius in the universe is being hand fed by the second crowned princess of Jurai," Washu said sarcastically with a small grin. Sasami broke out in laughter, knowing that no one would hear her in the lab. She was surprised to see Washu laugh with her. A tear then fell from Sasami's eyes as she heard Washu laugh. 

"What's wrong, Sasami?" she asked. 

"It's just that I haven't heard you laugh in days, Washu. It makes me happy to see you finally cheery.  Like your old self," Sasami said wiping away the tears with one hand and holding up the food with the other.

"I'm being fed, that's why. Now don't poke my eye out," Washu remarked as she took the next bit greedily. Sasami giggled and continued to feed Washu until she was full. Her smiles faded though as Ryoko appeared behind the small princess shortly after she had finished her meal. Sasami cocked her head and turned to see Ryoko looking at her.  

"Sasami,"

"Stop, Ryoko," Washu said loudly. Ryoko glared at Washu and looked back at Sasami.

"You're mean enough to let her starve seeing you don't help and she can't do anything with her hands? No one will even look at her let alone help her eat!" Sasami cried, talking before Ryoko did.

"She deserves it. She deserves everything she gets as well as being ignored!" Ryoko yelled, but Sasami could see that she didn't really mean it.  She was trying to act as thought she didn't care, but it was evident that she did. 

"Why? Because she's trying to be your mother? When was the last time she did an experiment on you? When was the last time she said anything to belittle you?" Sasami asked accusingly.

"When was the last time she listened to me?" Ryoko sneered as she left the room. Sasami now had tears of anger falling from her face. It wasn't fair. She had to find out what was wrong.


	2. 

Sasami ran into the living room, looking for Ryoko and finding her on the rafters, staring off into space.

"Ryoko, please understand that this isn't an act," Sasami said with her head lowered.

"And how would you know? She told you?" Ryoko snapped, her ugly mood radiating like a glowing ember.  She masked her guilt with anger, feeling confused about the situation.  She had never really cared about Washu, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of regret for how she'd been acting.  

"Ryoko, she can't heal herself," Sasami said, raising her head. Ryoko looked down at her with a frown.

"And she told you that too?" Ryoko asked in a bitter voice. She snorted and shook her head, returning to her comfy position. Sasami looked up at Ryoko with a scowl and walked into the kitchen. It was no use trying to reach Ryoko right now. 

*** 

Tenchi walked into the kitchen and saw Sasami with her head down, crying.

"Sasami, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Ryoko won't listen," Sasami said. She lifted her head and looked at Tenchi who was looking at her with a small smile.

"Tenchi, why is Ryoko ignoring Washu?" she asked, not understanding how she could be so mean.

"Well, I think of it like this. Ryoko went to go talk to Washu, knowing that she wanted Ryoko to talk to her about her problems, and Washu pretty much ignored Ryoko. She was too into her experiments, so Ryoko's just returning the favor," Tenchi said. Sasami thought about this and it did make sense. She still didn't like it, though. 

"But she tried to apologize," Sasami said, looking at her arms that were wet with tears. Tenchi hugged her and let out a long sigh.

"Well, Sasami. Saying you're sorry won't always mend the emotional wounds. Sometimes they need more than that," he said before walking out of the kitchen.

*** 

Why doesn't she listen? Ryoko thought as she remembered Sasami getting upset with her again in the lab a little while ago. What had happened to their friendship? They didn't seem as close because of Washu. She didn't believe that Washu couldn't heal herself. She can change from adult to child, she's over 20,000 years old, and she's the smartest scientist in the universe, so she says. Why wouldn't she be able to heal herself? Ryoko felt guilty for yelling at Sasami and decided to go see her.

***

Sasami had started making herself a snack when Ryoko appeared behind her. Sasami jumped as she noticed Ryoko behind her.

"Hey, Sasami. I'm bored. Let's say we try that game of chess again," Ryoko said with a smile, even though it was really late. Sasami really didn't want to be with Ryoko right now and wanted to go see Washu.  Try to cheer her up again, seeing she needed it more than Ryoko did. 

"I don't know. Maybe tomorrow," the little girl said as she continued making a snack. Ryoko frowned and cocked her head.

"Sasmai, I want to talk to you," she said as she sat at the table. Sasami sighed and walked over, taking a seat next to Ryoko. 

"Sasami, I want to say I'm sorry for yelling at you like that. It was wrong of me. I was mad at Washu but you were the one that got the tail end of that anger. I know you're worried about Washu, but she's a big girl. She can take care of herself," Ryoko said in a gentle voice. Sasami looked at her with big, sad eyes that broke Ryoko's heart. 

"But Ryoko, this isn't an act she's pulling. I can't just let her hurt herself! She's my friend!" Sasami cried as tears formed in her eyes. Ryoko hugged her and cooed softly to her.

"Okay, Sasami, okay. But please realize that she ignored my plea for help, so now I'm ignoring hers," Ryoko said, trying to comfort the crying child. 

"But-"

"No but's. If she wants to be a mother, then she has to act like one. True, she stopped the teasing and experiments on me, but she ignored me. If I really were her daughter, she wouldn't have done that. How about this," Ryoko said as she held the little girl by the shoulders, looking into her teary eyes.

"Care for her and try to cheer her up all you want, and if she drops this ac...sorry. If she realizes her mistake and tries to confront me about it, I'll listen...maybe," Ryoko said. She did want to talk to Washu but it had hurt her into changing her mind when she heard Washu say that her experiment needed her more than Ryoko. 

"She did try to apologize, though," Sasami said, looking at Ryoko's face. True, she did right after it happened, but Ryoko was still too angry to listen. 

"Well…if she tried again, maybe I'll listen," Ryoko covered. Sasami had tried to pin her before and had failed, but she did a damn good job this time.

...I really need to get this done... Washu voice echoed through Ryoko's head as the memory returned. Sasami wiped away her tears and nodded. This was better than nothing, she guessed. 

"Now, how about that game of chess you owe me?" Ryoko asked with a playful smile. Sasami cracked and giggled, nodding her head.

"Ryoko?" she asked as they walked into the living room. 

"Yes?"

"Can I be the black pieces?" Sasami asked, changing the mood. Ryoko chuckled and nodded her head.

***

Washu sat in her chair, thinking about what Ryoko said before she disappeared.

...When was the last time she listened to me?... came the words she had spoken. Washu sighed and hung her head. She was right. She had left her daughter alone, but maybe she took that a little too far. She had pretty much ignored Ryoko that day. 

"Sister," she heard a voice behind her. Washu lifted her head slowly, not recognizing the voice. She turned but saw no one there. She had expected to see Tsunami, but that was a false alarm. Besides, it wasn't Tsunami's voice. It was one that seemed to hold a much darker hint to it. 

"Who is it?" Washu called, curious as to who it was and her eyes widened as she was hit with the truth. Tokimi. Just as the name ran through her head, her older sister appeared as a hologram before her. 

"Poor, poor Washu," she said with a smile. Washu's face turned bitter as she rose to her feet.

"How did you get in here? What do you want?" Washu asked, fury present in her eyes. However, she failed to let the fear that she felt show. 

"That doesn't matter. I can see that you're having some trouble with your daughter," Tokimi said, looking at her nails with a smile. Washu growled at her and stared at her sister with pure hate. 

"What do you care?" she snapped. Tokimi made a gesture of being hurt but then started to laugh.

"I can't help it. She hates you and that crushes you. It's all a matter of hate and resentment. I'm drawn to it like sharks are drawn to blood," Tokimi said with a wicked smile. Washu was now shaking but not from her anger, but her fear. What did her sister want?

"Can it, Tokimi. Leave or I'll make you leave," Washu snapped, trying to hide her fear of her sister. Tokimi laughed again and threw her head back.

"And how do you plan to do that? You're a cripple," she laughed. Washu moved her eyes down to look at her hands and hid them behind her back. This made Tokimi burst out in laughter again.

"I just stopped by to tell you that I plan on taking Ryoko. Doctor clay proves to be a bumbling idiot with his sights set small. Ryoko's a lot like you in many ways. She's smarter than she lets on, she has the physical strength to perform many tasks, and she does set her sights higher than Clay does.  Not to mention her mind is easily controlled," Tokimi said, admiring her nails again with the same 'got ya' smile on her face. Washu's jaw dropped and she jumped up, clenching her hands into fists, wincing at the pain.

"No, you won't!" she screamed and Tokimi only smiled at her.

"And what will you do to stop me, sister?" she said before letting out a bored sigh.

"Anything I can," Washu hissed, ignoring the now throbbing pain in her knuckles.

"How about I make a deal with you," Tokimi said, looking at Washu with her normal 'I hate everything and everyone' look on her face.

"I want nothing to do with you, Tokimi," Washu sneered as she turned her back to her.

"You convince Ryoko that you really do...care...for her," Tokimi said, obviously having a great deal of trouble in saying the word care.  "And I'll leave you and your daughter alone," she finished. Washu turned and looked at her with anger on her face. She couldn't believe that Tokimi was making a deal out of Washu's love for her daughter.

"I'll give you four days. If you fail, I take her," Tokimi said before disappearing. Washu let out a whimper of defeat as her sister left. How was she going to do that if Ryoko wouldn't even talk to her?

*** 

"Checkmate!" Sasami cheered as she placed her last piece. Ryoko sighed and shook her head.

"That's twice in a row," she said in a defeated voice. She smiled at Sasami, glad that they were friends again. Sasami got up, bringing the plates they had their snacks on to the kitchen. Ryoko stood up and stretched, yawning loudly.

"Bedtime," she said as she waved at Sasami, leaving the room to go who-knows-where while Sasami went to the bathroom and grabbed the med kit before heading to Washu's lab.

***

Sasami scowled as she heard the faint sound of Washu typing at her computer. 

"Washu! You shouldn't be doing that! You're making it worse!" Sasami scolded as she walked over to Washu. Washu had a wrinkle in her face as she ignored Sasami and continued working, trying to ignore the pain that was coursing through her hands. The bandages were torn and fresh blood was seeping from the sores, soaking the bandages. 

"Washu, stop!" Sasami shouted, seeing a few drops of blood fall to the floor, not hitting the computer panel. Washu still didn't say anything and continued working. 

"Washu, are you listening to me?" Sasami asked, angered at Washu's failure to notice her. Washu whimpered as she typed faster, trying to locate her sister and stop this before she lost her daughter for good. 

"Washu!" Sasami screamed. Washu looked at her with anger in her eyes but that anger wasn't at Sasami, it was at Tokimi. 

"I'm busy, Sasami! I need to get this done or I will loose Ryoko forever!" Washu yelled, tears streaming down her face. Sasami put her hands on her hips, frowning at Washu.

"Ryoko is thinking about giving you a chance, Washu. She doesn't believe that you can't heal yourself and she still thinks you're acting, but you need to try and tell her!" Sasami scolded. Washu looked at her with a look of hope in her green eyes. Ryoko was going to give her a chance? Maybe she wouldn't loose her after all. Washu hung her head and let out a labored sigh. Her lip quivered as she tried to hold back the tears. Sasami sat in front of her and looked at her hands. The bandages had been torn between the fingers and blood was soaked into almost every inch of the cloth around the sores on Washu's knuckles. Sasami sighed and opened the med kit, preparing to change them. She looked up and saw Washu clamping her eyes shut and all the pain and hurt she felt had twisted her mouth into a frown that struck Sasami right through the heart. Sasami stood up and put her arms around Washu's small shoulders and hugged her close, trying to calm her down. Washu hugged Sasami tight and sobbed into her shoulder. Her whole body shook as she coughed out the tears and her hands stained the back of Sasami's kimono. 

"I'm sorry," Washu said after her sobs died into whimpers and tears. Sasami pulled back and smiled at Washu.

"Don't be sorry, Washu. I understand that you're upset," she said as she slowly unwrapped the bloody bandages. Washu cringed as Sasami revealed her hands. She had typed to harshly and she had ripped the bandages so savagely that the sores had reopened once more. She just couldn't get away from these things. Tears of pain fell from her eyes as her throbbing hands burned with pain. Sasami sighed and shook her head.

"I told you, Washu," she said as she proceeded to clean the blood away. The blood was flowing a little too fast for Sasami to keep them clean long enough to apply the ointment so she stood up, leaving them be. 

"You really did it this time, Washu," she said as she looked up at the crying scientist. She had been so cheery the other day and this change in mood had surprised Sasami. Sasami wrapped the towel gently around Washu's hands and held them up. 

"Hold them up here," Sasami said as Washu took over, leaning against the chair. Washu fidgeted in her seat as the pain and burning continued. 

"Why, Washu? Why didn't you listen to me?" Sasami asked. If Washu didn't know any better, she would have thought Sasami sounded like a mother. Washu sniffled and stared at Sasami.

"Because..." she said, not telling Sasami about Tokimi. Sasami waited but sighed and shook her head when nothing else came from Washu's lips except whimpers of pain. 

"Washu, I hate it when you do things like this," Sasami said. Washu let out a pale chuckle and looked at Sasami.

"Won't Ryoko lecture you for being here?" she said sourly, changing the subject. Sasami smiled at her and shook her head. 

"She gave me permission to help you," Sasami said. Washu winced slightly as she thought of it as Ryoko being her prison guard. Washu stared up at her hands as Tokimi's words flowed through her mind.

...Like sharks are drawn to blood... Washu cringed and that same pained look washed over her face. 

"What is it, Washu?" Sasami asked. 

"...Like sharks are drawn to blood..." she whispered. Sasami cocked her head in confusion, unable to let it go this time.

"Washu, you're not alone. I'm here for you. You know you can trust me," Sasami said. Washu looked at her with new tears falling.

"...Tokimi came to me a little while ago. She said that if Ryoko doesn't see that I love her and that she is my daughter, she's going to take her..." Washu said, the same twist of pain appearing on her lips. Sasami put a hand on Washu's knees and leaned towards her face.

"What? Tokimi? But...how?" she asked. It wasn't her speaking. It was Tsunami. Washu closed her eyes tightly and held her breath, holding back the sobs. 

"I don't know," she said, the sobs coming back in full force. Sasami looked away and thought about this. That's why Washu was typing at the computer. She was trying to find a way out of this. 

"There's only one thing you can do, Washu," Sasami said. Washu took a few deep breaths and looked at the little girl. 

"Talk to Ryoko," she said with a smile. Washu hung her head again and thought of how hard that was going to be. 

***

Ryoko sat on the rafter, thinking about the deal she made with Sasami. She wanted to talk to Washu because she now felt like dirt for what she had done. Maybe she wasn't acting. Maybe she really was hurt and suffering in her lab with no one to help her. Washu wasn't stupid and wouldn't suffer like this for as long as she has if she could help it. She had turned the others on Washu too, which didn't make her feel any better. She also remembered the scene in the lab. She had been keeping an eye on Washu from the start. She covered her tracks by using Sasami's help as an excuse to see Washu, but she didn't do anything other than ignore her. Worth it? I think not. 

She was ignoring you, though Ryoko thought, having a conversation with herself. 

Yet she hurt herself, thinking it would help my pain

But it's all an act and a pretty stupid one at that

How can it be an act, though? Why would she suffer through that? Is she that starving for attention?

With Washu, you never know

But she would've seen it wasn't working and dropped it a while ago

Washu doesn't think like you or the others do. Ryoko sighed and closed her eyes, letting the thoughts play through her mind. She figured she would listen to Washu if she came to confront her. It was the only way to put her mind at ease. 

***

Washu walked out of the lab and into the living room to find Ryoko snoozing on the rafters. It had taken Sasami the rest of the night to bandage and clean Washu's hands, which were in pretty rough shape. They still burned and throbbed from what she put them through and Sasami had to open doors for her and all that good stuff, seeing Washu was now even less capable to do so. She had gone to the kitchen to prepare breakfast before anyone woke up, despite how tired she was. Washu looked up at Ryoko and sighed before attempting to engage in conversation.

"Ryoko?" she called up to her. Ryoko snapped her eyes open and let them focus before looking down at Washu. She threw her feet over the edge of the beam and looked at Washu with a blank look. Washu lowered her head and looked at the couch, asking Ryoko with her eyes to sit down. Ryoko sighed and appeared on the couch as Washu walked over and sat next to her.

"Ryoko, can I speak without being interrupted?" she asked. Ryoko nodded her head and rested her head on her hand.

"I just want to say I'm sorry for ignoring you in the lab that day. It was wrong of me, but this isn't an act," Washu said, pausing to hear Ryoko's response to that. She only continued to stare at Washu, waiting for her to continue. She hadn't heard what she wanted and she would wait until she did.

"If this was an act, I would have quit it already. I wouldn't have let Sasami go through the chore of changing bandages if I could heal myself, Ryoko. Nor would I force myself to endure the pain if I didn't have to.  You may think me to be a heartless scientist, but I'm not. I was hurt when you ignored me and I then knew how you felt. I had realized that I had pushed away the one thing I hold dearest to me," she said with her head hung. Ryoko still glared at her, waiting to hear her say that she was going to listen. That's all she wanted. 

"I want to be your mother. If you give me a chance, I promise that I'll listen to anything you have to say. I just hate this feeling of guilt," Washu said as she looked up at Ryoko. She was shocked to see one lone tear run down her daughter's face. Ryoko looked down at the floor and let out a sigh. There was still something she as confused about.

"I only have one question, Washu," she said. Washu waited and looked at Ryoko with pleading eyes, waiting for her to say something.

"I now realize that this wasn't an act, but one thing confuses me about this.  You said you couldn't heal yourself. Why not?" she asked, looking back at Washu. Washu lowered her head and thought of how to say this before looking back at her daughter's questioning gaze.

"Because I put all my powers into those gems, including my healing powers. You have those gems, Ryoko," she said. Ryoko's face went white as she heard that Washu had given up that ability for her.

"You...you sacrificed that power...for me?" she asked, unable to comprehend this. Washu nodded and looked at her bandaged hands, tears running down her face.  Not only because Ryoko understood, but because the new ointment Sasami had used stung like a bastard.

"Washu..." Ryoko said, drawing Washu's gaze. Ryoko went to say something but nothing came to mind. Tenchi then came down the stairs and stopped as he saw the two on the couch. Ryoko looked over at him as Washu wrinkled her nose in discomfort at her hands. 

"Sorry," he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. He went to the kitchen but before Ryoko could even turn her head back to Washu, Ayeka came down the stairs, glaring at the small scientist.

"Miss Washu. Don't you think that Ryoko's had enough of your excuses?" she snapped before walking into the kitchen after Tenchi. Ryoko looked at Washu and saw her jaw clenched in anger and her eyes watering up with new tears.  Ryoko looked at the floor and thought of how Washu must feel. Everyone had ignored her, thinking that she could heal herself and this was all an act for attention. It was because of Ryoko that they thought that. She could see it in Washu's eyes that she wasn't bluffing. That hurt Ryoko right down to the depths of her heart.  She had hurt Washu because of jumping to conclusions, but that's what she had done in the first place.  

"I'm sorry, Washu. It's just that I was upset. I just wanted someone to talk to and you turned me away," she whispered. She was unable to speak any louder. 

"No, Ryoko. I never should have ignored you like that. I had been pushing you to talk to me and when you finally come, wanting me to listen, I blew it because I thought you were looking for a way to get Tenchi," Washu said. 

"Breakfast," Sasami yawned as she entered the living room. 

"Great.  I'm starving," Ryoko said as she stood up.  Washu shook her head and followed her daughter's movement and headed to the table.  Ryoko looked down at her and saw the wrinkle still in her face and tilted her head.

"Still upset?" she asked.

"A little," Washu said as she pursed her lips at the bandages.  

"Than why such a deep wrinkle in your puny face?" Ryoko asked as she gently nudged Washu, trying to lift her spirits and change the mood.

"Because these sores sting like hell.  They hurt," Washu whined as she looked up at Ryoko before taking their seats at the table.

***

Everyone filled their plates with the simple breakfast that Sasami had made and enjoyed the fact that it was even there, guessing from the fatigue-ridden little girl. Washu watched the others and looked at Ryoko who was looking into her plate with a look of deep thought on her face. She then looked over at Sasami who was watching Washu with sad eyes. Sasami then smiled and got up, drawing her sister's attention.

"What do you want on your plate, Washu?" she asked, reaching for the nearest dish. Ayeka looked at Sasmai with a harsh glare and stuck her nose in the air.

"Sasami, I believe that if miss Washu would like something to eat, she'd heal herself and get it without any help," Ayeka said in a snooty voice. Ryoko scowled at Ayeka but didn't say anything.

"But she can't heal herself, Ayeka," Sasami said as she put some food on Washu's plate who was staring at her bandaged hands. She hated it when people talked about her right in front of her as though she wasn't there. Ayeka looked at Sasami with her head tilted to the side.

"And you know this because she told you?" Ayeka asked, turning her head away, snorting at the two at the end of the table. Ryoko then slammed her fists down on the table and stood up, glaring at Ayeka. 

"She CAN'T heal herself because she sacrificed that power for me, as well as a very large majority of her other powers!" Ryoko yelled, scaring the shit out of the princess. This was more than their playful anger over Tenchi. 

"What do you mean, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked. Ryoko sat back down and sighed heavily. 

"She put all of her goddess powers into those gems and gave the gems to me," she said in a fragile voice that was full of guilt. Tenchi looked at Washu who was staring at her plate. The whole talking about her in front of her thing was bugging the crap out of her. 

"Washu?" he asked, wanting to hear it from someone else. Washu looked at him and nodded her head. 

"So...this wasn't an act?" Ayeka asked in a small voice. Washu and Ryoko both nodded their heads. 

"Miss Washu.  I'm sorry about how I've been acting lately. I just thought it was rude to ignore a plea for help, seeing Ryoko needs it very much" Ayeka said, throwing in a remark to get a spark from the pirate.  Ryoko narrowed her eyes at the princess but lowered her head when she saw the spiteful smile on Ayeka's face.  

"Washu, can you forgive us?" Tenchi asked, picking up off of Ayeka's apology. 

"Only if Ryoko can forgive me," she said softly.  She looked up to see Sasami smiling at her with a bit of food for her and took swiftly. She felt ridiculous, being hand fed and all that, but there was nothing else she could do. Ryoko stared at Washu for a long time before getting up and walking over to her. She motioned for Sasami to get up so that she could sit down and Sasami smiled at Ryoko before returning to her sister's side. Washu watched as Ryoko sat down next to her, picking up Washu's chopsticks. She held up a bit for Washu to take but Washu only stared at her, not understanding what she was doing.

"This is my job. It's my job to take care of my mother, not Sasami's," Ryoko whispered, staring into Washu's eyes. Washu was at a loss for words. She just stared at Ryoko with wide eyes as she admitted to being her daughter.

"Come on. My arms going to get tired," Ryoko said with a smile, holding the food to Washu who ate it, watching as Ryoko picked up another bit for her.

***

Ryoko went with Washu back to the lab, opening doors and helping her with the little things. She felt guilty about turning the others on her over something that wasn't true.  Washu called for two cushions and sat down across from her daughter.

"Now, tell me what it is that you wanted to talk about and I promise, I'll listen," Washu said. Ryoko smiled at her and thought of everything she had wanted to say. She started to tell her about not being able to venture into her memories for fear of Kagato as Washu listened intently. 

***

Washu sighed as Ryoko finished, head hung low and feeling two inches tall after remembering everything Kagato made her do. Washu moved closer, lifting Ryoko's head. She placed her forehead on Ryoko's and one by one, let the memories of Ryoko's childhood play through her mind. 

***************

"Mommy, what are these?" a very young Ryoko asked. Washu smiled at her as she saw what Ryoko was asking about.

"They're something that are very important to mommy," Washu said softly. The three small red gems twinkled as they were held in suspended time. The glass around them glowed with a red light that reflected off Ryoko's face. 

"How important?" she asked innocently.

"Very. Mommy would give her life to protect those. And you know what?" Washu said as she leaned close to Ryoko's ear.

"They're going to be yours someday," she whispered. Ryoko smiled at looked at her mother.

"You would trust me with those? What if I loose them?" Ryoko asked in a worried tone of voice. Washu chuckled and smiled at her daughter's innocents. 

"I trust you. You are my daughter after all, and I know you won't loose them. They are as important to me as you are," she said in a gentle, motherly voice. 

"You mean you would die for me?" Ryoko asked with genuine confusion. Washu hugged her and let out a sigh.

"Of course I would, little Ryoko. I wouldn't bat an eyelash to protect you with my life," she said with all the love in the world.

***

Washu walked into Ryoko's bedroom to find her drawing a picture with Ryo-Ohki. Washu stopped in the doorway and watched with a smile. Ryo-Ohki looked at her but Washu raised a finger to her lips, telling the cabbit to keep her mouth shut about her presence. The little cabbit went back to watching Ryoko draw her picture before yawning as she chose a red crayon. Washu watched as she finished her picture, stretching her back and arms. She got up and put the crayons away, still not seeing her mother. 

Ryoko Washu said through the link. The little girl stopped and turned around and smiled widely at her mother. She ran over to her with the picture hidden behind her back and leaned against Washu's waist, wanting to be hugged. Washu chuckled and lowered herself to Ryoko's height, hugging her tightly as the little girl snuggled her face into her neck, seeing her arms were busy holding the picture out of sight. 

"What do you have behind your back, Ryoko?" she asked, playing stupid. Ryoko giggled and admired her work before turning the picture so Washu could see it. It was a picture of Ryoko, Washu, and Ryo-Ohki in the park. Washu was holding Ryoko's hand and the cabbit was jumping in the air happily. 

"Wow! You're a real artist, Ryoko!" Washu praised, causing the little girl to blush and giggle at her mother's compliment. She hugged Washu around the neck and held her tight. 

"I made it for you," she said as she pulled away with a slight look of sadness on her face. 

"I didn't have any money to get you a birthday present so I drew a picture of all of us so you won't ever forget," Ryoko said as she looked at her feet. Washu smiled and looked at Ryoko with a raised eyebrow. 

"And what makes you think that I would forget you?" Washu asked. Ryoko thought for a moment and shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

"I don't know," she said as she folded her hands behind her back. 

"This is the perfect present, Ryoko.  I couldn't ask for anything more," Washu said with a smile as she stared into Ryoko's big golden eyes.

"Does that mean I don't have to give you anything for your birthdays?" she asked with a smile. Washu rolled her eyes and smirked at her daughter. 

"Let's not go THAT far," Washu teased as she tickled Ryoko's sides, causing the little girl to shout with laughter. 

**************************

After the last of the many memories was relayed to Ryoko, she stared at Washu. The one that stuck out the most was the stitches one, where she had split her head open. She had seen the good, the bad, and the grim and now understood that Washu really did love her and that she did have a childhood before Kagato. It may have been short, but it was still there.  Washu looked at her with a pained smiled, hoping that it would convince Ryoko that she truly did care about her. Tears ran down Ryoko's face as she let the memories run through her head. She wanted to talk more about the subject but Sasami had called for lunch. Washu looked at the clock and shook her head in surprise.

"Whoa! It's lunchtime already! Four hours you talked," Washu said with a smile. Ryoko looked at her and returned her smile.

"No, Washu. One hour that you listened, three hours that you helped," Ryoko said, tapping her head and on that last note, the two walked to the table together.

***

Everyone smiled as the two entered the room, receiving smiles from the others.

"So are you two all buddy buddy now?" Tenchi asked as Ryoko sat next to Washu again, intending on helping her eat lunch. Washu still felt awkward in getting help with eating her meals, but didn't argue.

"You could say that, I guess," Ryoko said as she made her and Washu's plates.

"I guess so," Washu said with a sarcastic tone in her voice, feeling more like her old self. Everyone piled their plates with food, like usual, and Ryoko helped Washu by asking her what she wanted. Washu told her and Ryoko helped her eat, just like Sasami had done. Washu had felt embarrassed but realized that no one cared. They held their usual conversations, not leaving Washu out this time and when Ryoko wasn't feeding Washu, she was inhaling her own food. Everything was pretty much back to normal.

***

Tokimi watched as Ryoko and Washu healed their relationship and let out a sigh.  She scowled as she felt Tsunami nudge her with a grin.

"Come on, Tokimi.  Admit it.  You care for her as much as I do," Tsunami pried as she continued to grin at her sulking sister.

"No, it's just that I would've had a more reliable assistant if I had won that bet," Tokimi grumbled.   

"Right," Tsunami mused as she watched her middle sister being fed.  

"It' s kind of cute," she said as she tilted her head thoughtfully.  

"Whatever," Tokimi muttered as she continued to sulk.  She watched Tsunami disappear out of the corner of her eye and let out a sigh before a smile slowly worked its way to her lips.  

"So Tsunami convinced me to help out.  Big deal.  I could've gotten a lot from that bet, but I'll let it slid.  Besides, this just makes it that much easier to get you next time, sister," Tokimi said before the scene faded from sight.

*** 

After lunch, Ryoko went with Washu to the lab, once more helping with doors and such.

"Thank you, Ryoko," Washu said.

"No problem, mom," Ryoko said with a smile. She walked over to Washu and knelt down to her height, hugging her close. 

"I should thank you," Ryoko said into her mother's shoulder. 

"For what?" Washu asked. 

"...For loving me," Ryoko whispered. Washu closed her eyes and felt the tears squeeze through her shut eyelids as the memory flashed in her head. She had waited so long to have her daughter back and now all those years of waiting and all the pain she endured had paid off. 

"You don't have to thank me," Washu whispered once the tears slowed.

"You are my daughter and I will love you whether you want me to or not."


End file.
